Shelby Lynne talks about her new tour

Shelby Lynne
Shelby Lynne has just released “Tears, Lies and Alibis” one of her best albums since her 2000 masterpiece “I Am Shelby Lynne.” It’s quiet and subtle and filled with the sweet Southern soul sounds that have earned her well deserved accolades through the years.
The sister of fellow country singer Allison Moorer, Lynne is hitting the road this month as well, for a cross-country trek that will bring her to the Iron Horse Music Hall in Northampton on May 7.
Just prior to the tour, the 41-year-old singer spoke in depth about the new album, her affection for Dusty Springfield, her friendship with Peter Wolf, her love of Airstreams and much more:
You’ve been quoted as saying you’re very excited about this album, as much as anything you’ve done in the past 20 years. How come?
Mainly the fact that it’s on my own label (Everso) and that feels really good. I kind of had it with the big corporate label mess and I just said it’s time to go out on my own and do this thing. I think after 20 years I know how a label should work by now, so by God let’s take this chance. That’s one reason. And I’m glad to put an album out that’s my own songwriting after having done the cover record last time. So it’s all good.
Was recording the Dusty Springfield tribute “Just a Little Lovin’” a cathartic experience for you?
I had never done a cover record so I figured, why not tie in the Dusty thing with it? She has such amazing songs and she has so many fans and I’m one of them. I thought, well hell, this way I can do a cover record and pay tribute to her too.
“Loser Dreamer” has a lot to do with musicians and relationships. Tell me about the problem with musicians having long-term relationships.
(laughs) Aw, shoot. Well, I can only speak for myself. It takes a lot of patience from that other person. “Loser Dreamer” came from my buddy Brian who engineered the record. He’s the one who told me that an old girlfriend of his said that. And I love those two words together. Loser. Dreamer. It’s kind of melancholy. I was thinking not only of him but hell, I’m a loser dreamer. If you want to play music for a living you kind of have to be a loser dreamer. I just love loser dreamers. They kind of have that quality of vulnerability in them. They’d rather sing on the corner than get a real job (laughs). It’s the song that got me out of my writing slump, I know that.
Some of these arrangements are incredibly sparse such as “Like a Fool,” which has that very delicate piano work from Mark Jordan and your voice sounds perfect against it. Was that the effect you were searching for?
I love that track. Mark said “Are you sure you want me to play that so high?” And I said “Yes, it’s got to be high, just that amount of time, no other chords, just play that high delicate thing.” Each one of these songs had their own life. I tool a lot of time to make it. I really wanted to be careful to not put too much on it…if you think too much about production you’re going to have a big old mess. I just like to keep it really simple…I do what I have to do to make a record feel good. Calling in the right guys. Not letting anybody overplay. Being in service of the song is what the whole thing is.
“Alibi” has kind of a classic country theme to it. What inspired that and how did you come up with the particular imagery of the other woman?
I have no idea. I don’t know. I don’t. I had the alibi word from somewhere. I wish I could explain it to you but I’m sitting outside one day, I had it in my head and just thought of this sad woman. It’s not uncommon this woman. When the song started coming together I start doing my role playing and I become who she is.
When did you first start to have affection for Airstreams, which you write about so vividly in “Something to Be Said.”
I’ve always loved them since I was a kid. I had one one time but not right now. I just think they are the ultimate romantic Amercana classic. Some people are crazy about them, there’s a whole Airstream culture out there. Impressive. I do love them and I do think they are art. I’m sort of like “What are you doing writing about campers. Nobody wants me to sing about a camper.” But I couldn’t resist it (laughs). It’s such a real place, that I couldn’t help it. I said “I have to share this with people.” People who know me and my music will get this quirky weird little romantic song about Airstreams. If nothing else it will remind them of how beautiful they are. Even though it’s a material thing it represents so much more to me than that. I love my country, I love what it stands for and I love that never-changing Airstream.
You’ve got a great collaboration out called “Tragedy,” which is sung with Peter Wolf and appears on his new album. Did you two know each other before this?
We knew about each other but we had never really actually met. But I am so glad he called me because he is one of my dearest friends now. Since we did that - he worked on that awhile so I sang that a few years ago - he’s just one of the most passionate music loving cats I’ve ever known. We can sit, and we have, we have stayed up until the sun rises, talking about records and having the best time. We were meant to be best friends. And that (Wolf’s album) is an amazing rock ‘n’ roll record to me, there’s not a bad song on it.
Seeing how well the duet works with Wolf, are there other people you’d like to sing with but haven’t had the chance to yet?
I’m such a fan of so many people but I don’t know if I’d want to sing with them. My sister and I are tossing around about doing something but we’re waiting on her to have a baby right now (Allison Moorer has since given birth to a baby with husband Steve Earle). That’s something we’re tossing around for later, we have been getting around to seriously talking about it.
Was there any moment as a kid when you realized your voice might not be quite like all the rest of the kids?
I’ve been singing so long I’ve always known I would do this. It’s never been any kind of secret as to what I was going to do. My mom used to say, “You ain’t good for nothing but singing a tune. How many times did I tell you to make up that bed or do this, or whatever?” (laughs) I always felt a little bit set apart but that’s just the freak in me.
We had a big singing family and when we’d get together at my grandmother’s and they’d have a pickin’ or a get together, I loved it. The whole audience, entertainment thing, seeing people’s reaction. I knew really early that I loved to entertain people and sing my heart out. I’m lucky.
What’s the biggest misconception there is about Shelby Lynne?
Probably that I’m hard to handle, difficult, a little nuts. Y’know I’m not gonna disagree with any of those things. I’ve actually had people come up to me after working with me say “You’re not difficult at all,” and I said “Really?” I’ve been doing this for so long, hell, (laughs) I love doing what I do I’ve made a lot of friends, I can’t believe how (expletive) old I am. But that’s o.k., I love it, 20 years in the business still around and I don’t have to sing some silly hit song every night, I can sing whatever I want.
“Old Dog” is a pretty tough sounding song. Tell me about how you came up with that.
I had a dog that got lost a few years ago, he’s sitting here with me now, I found him. I found him the next morning with the help of the garbage truck driver. He must have found a porch to lie on in the night that was warm. Instinctively a dog is looking for a porch to lie on somewhere, somehow and I started turning it into me. Well, y’know I’m kind of like an old dog looking for that porch to lie on…but it’s about searching for that soul place in life. You’re on that blacktop road and you’re searching. It’s a life searching song.
You’re about to hit the road and tour the album. How do you make a tour fresh for you and the audience?
The first thing you do is you don’t do the last thing you did last time. Incorporate the new with the old that people want to hear and switch it up every night. We have a set list but we don’t do them in any order…Some people go to my shows three shows in a row and I am always conscious of that. As music fan I always try and put myself in their state.
Shelby Lynne - Spring 2010 Tour
April 22 West Hollywood, CA The Roxy Theatre
April 23 San Francisco, CA Great American Music Hall
April 26 Portland, OR Doug Fir Lounge
April 27 Seattle, WA The Triple Door
May 1 Minneapolis, MN Dakota
May 2 Milwaukee, WI Turner Hall
May 3 Ann Arbor, MI The Ark
May 4 Chicago, IL Martyrs’
May 5 Cleveland, OH Beachland Tavern
May 7 Northampton, MA Iron Horse Music Hall
May 8 Somerville, MA Johnny D’s
May 9 Philadelphia, PA World Café Live
May 10 New York, NY The Concert Hall
May 11 Alexandria, VA The Birchmere
May 13 Nashville, TN The Belcourt Theater
May 15 Atlanta, GA Variety Playhouse
May 17 Dallas, TX Granada Theater
May 18 Houston, TX Warehouse Live
May 19 Austin, TX St. David’s Episcopal Church
May 25 Solana Beach, CA Belly Up Tavern